A:
Step 1 is to join NASA and get on the track! You start
your adventure by participating in NASA
High Performance Driving Event (HPDE). NASA's HPDE program provides
you with an experienced racer to help guide you through the event, one on one,
as you learn how to handle your car at the limit. You set your own goals and go
as fast as you feel comfortable going. You can progress as far as you want,
even get a competition license. Basically, all you
need is a safe car and a helmet. The car does not have to be fancy or fast.
Students bring everything from a Hyundai to a Ferrari. Read the requirements
for the other miscellaneous items required. Other pathways to racing would be
attending a Skip Barber or Jim Russell
competition course, acquiring a Novice Race license through the SCCA or
getting a BMW Club Racing License through the BMW Club. For more info about the
NASA Competition license process go here.

http://www.nasaproracing.com/proracing/license.html

Q.What's it take to get my competition license?

A.
Unless you have a license with another organization, you will have to
participate in a region's licensing program to obtain a Provisional License.
Contact your Regional Director for
more information about programs in your home region. NASA requires you to work
your way through it's HPDE program before you can apply to test
for you competition license. HPDE has four run group levels; Group 1 through
Group 4. Group 1 is for novice drivers while Group 4 offers unlimited passing
for seasoned drivers. Success in Group 4 allows you to apply for you
Competition license. A general rule-of-thumb is to plan for a solid year of
HPDE events before applying for your NASA competition license.

Q.
Should I buy a built car or build my own?

A.
There are pros and cons to
both.Building an already built car will
be the cheapest and quickest way to get into spec e30 racing and most would
recommend this is the best way to go.Check the classifieds on www.specE30.com for cars for sale.You should also post and ask what cars are
for sale because there are often cars for sale that are not in the classifieds
or guys are thinking about selling.The
cons to buying an already built car is that maybe it's not quite what you want.The main thing will be the cage.It's hard to go back on a cage once it's been
done.There is also a lot of
satisfaction to slowly building the car up yourself over time.It spreads out the cost and you will learn a
lot about the car.However it will more
than likely be the more expensive route especially if you can't do the work
yourself, you also have no idea what kind of problems you might run into
building your own car.These are after
all 20 year old cars and hidden rust and other problems (fuel tanks) can be a
problem.

Q.
Where can I find a car for SpecE30?

A.
SpecE30 uses the E30 3-series BMW built between the years 1984
and 1991. Only the 6 cylinder M20 engined E30's are eligible.So you will want to look for a 5 spd 325i or
325is.325e is not eligible but see below because it
can make a decent donor car.2 or 4 door
is fine, neither is better than the other.Some guys like the 4 door for the easy access to the rear of the car, it
makes changing the fuel pump a lot easier.325is is a little more desirable as it for sure has a 3.73 lsd.The 3.73 limited slip diff was an option on
the 325i so it might or might not have the correct diff.You can check the diff one of two ways: 1)
there is a metal tag on the right side of the diff cover, if it starts with the
letter S it is an lsd. the next # is the ratio ex: S3.73. 2) jack up the rear of the car so both wheels
are off the ground, spin the rear wheel with your hand if both wheels turn the
same direction it is an open diff if they spin in opposite directions it is
lsd.The older bigger bumper (diving
board) cars are a little more durable when it comes to bump drafting and small
taps even though they might not be quite as pretty.The best place I have found to find cars is
craigslist.You will want to use a
search that can scan multiple craigslists and look for a car that way.I use craigshelper.

You
can also use places like www.autotrader.com
but for the most part you won't find too much there, ebay is also an option as
well as your local classifieds.Depending on where you are in the country expect to pay anywhere from
$500 to $3000.The most important thing
is getting a mechanically rust free car.Getting a cheap donor is great but don't go overboard or you'll end up
with a rust bucket that might be more of a project than a good starting
point.Look for rust behind the wheel
wells especially in the rear and the floor boards by the foot area.

Q. Can I use a 325e as a donor?

Yes
the 325e can make a good donor because they are so cheap.You want to make sure it is an 86 or later so
that it is has the correct engine connector (round not square).You also want to make sure it has ABS.Once you have a 325e that meets this
requirement you will still need an M20 Motor, ECU and diff.You probably don't want to spend more than
$500 on the car if you are going this route.Again if you can't do the work yourself I wouldn't bother.

Q.What do I need to prep the car for racing?

A.
The first and most important thing
is getting the cage done.Ask for
recommendations here because it is probably the most important step in
preparing your car for racing.You
should be able to get a custom cage done for around $2000-$3500 (it does vary
for different parts of the country).Also
plan ahead for your right side net, most cages will have a dash bar that runs
behind the dash the right side net will need to attach to that somehow.You will want to remove all the interiors
bits of the car, refer to the rule book and follow it closely as to what you
can remove.One tip is don't remove the
sound deadening under the rear seat or in the trunk until the car is finished
and you have had it weighed.In general
the car will usually be underweight if you remove everything and this sound
deadening is pretty good weight in a good spot.I'd also recommend leaving the glass windows and electric window
switches in the car for convience.This
is especially true if you have an open trailer.It is very nice to have the option of just putting up your windows with
a press of a button instead of messing around with window inserts.

Q.Do I need to do anything special to the
mechanicals before I race?

A.You
will want to run good synthetic oils in the diff, tranny and engine.The brand is a personal preference.If the engine has an unknown history, I would
just replace the timing belt, get a valve adjustment and put in new plugs.Don't do anything beyond that until you get
it on the track or dyno, it might be perfectly strong even with very high
mileage.The M20 does suffer from oil
starvation so you will want to run at least a crank scraper to help keep the
oil in the pan during hard cornering.

The
stock cooling system will be plenty for racing.Aftermarket radiators are allowed but probably unnecessary.With a good synthetic oil I have never seen
oil temps over 220, usually it is around 210 unless I'm doing a lot of
drafting.Check the hoses for cracks.Remove the A/C condenser.The trannies do tend to push out fluid, some
do and some don't but in my experience I tend to lose quite a bit of tranny
fluid so keep an eye on it.You should
consider running an overflow tube to a catch can that is higher up than the
tranny.Cap and rotor are usually good
candidates for replacement also on an old engine.You should check the attachment of the
ignition coil in the engine bay, it is tack welded to the side, this can fail
and then you have an ignition coil bouncing around your engine bay.Ultimately you should drill this out and put
a proper nut and bolt through it.Remove
the mechanical fan.

Q.
What makes a SpecE30 race car?

A.
The rules for SpecE30 are very simple and
straightforward. Basically the engines and drive trains remain stock.
Suspensions are upgraded for racing conditions using spec parts; race springs,
shocks, camber plates and aftermarket sway bars. All SpecE30 race cars use the
new Toyo R888 DOT competition tire. SpecE30
race cars are required to meet a minimum weight and all are required to have
NASA approved safety upgrades such as roll cages, window nets, race seats and
harnesses. See NASA Club Codes and Regulations for minimum
safety requirements. The intent of SpecE30 is to provide a highly competitive,
affordable, fun, and safe racing series that showcases driver's skills as well
as the spec component manufacturers, distributors and dealers.

Q.
What should I know about the Spec tire - Toyo R888?

A.
The toyo R888 is the spec tire for
Spec E30.It comes pre molded to
6/32nds.You will want to get it shaved
for dry competition.I would get it
shaved to 4/32nds for maximum durability and 3/32nds if you want a little more
initial performance and less life.You
will want a full tread set for wet competition, but if you're on a budget a
brand new 4/32nd shaved tire will have enough tread for the wet
unless it is monsoon like conditions.The R888 still has decent channels even when shaved unlike the RA1.Toyo recommended hot pressures are in the 38-40
range.Respected racers in California have had good success running 48 hot.You will want to experiment for yourself and
see what works for you.The jury is
still out on the tire and we are still learning.A couple of notes on taking tire pressures.Always use the same high quality air pressure
gauge.Different gauges can have
different readings.Try to take them hot
off the track but failing that take them in the paddock knowing that they have
probably dropped a few psi from their high on the track.A basic setup would be to have the same hot
pressure at all 4 corners.You can also
use a pyrometer to get further information on temp of the tire.

Q.
What should I know about the suspension & alignment setup?

A.There
really isn't a whole lot to adjust on the suspension, which is great.Basic setup is run as much front camber as
you can in the front, the max is -3.5 but you probably won't be able to get
that much.The rear will probably have
around -2 to -2.8.For the sway bar
settings most people run the rear bar at full soft.For the alignment a basic setup would be to run
zero to slight toe out in the front.Zero toe in the front provides the best straight line speed and a little
toe out will improve initial corner turn in,most street cars will have a little toe in to help straight line
stability but is not the best track setup. In the rear which is not adjustable you
should have zero to slight toe in.If
you have toe out in the rear the car or trailing arm is probably bent.You don't want toe out in the rear as it will
make the car very loose.Unsual tire
wear might also indicate a strange alignment setting.You can run eccentric bushings in the rear
but as you adjust camber it also adjusts toe, so it is not ideal.It is also something that could get out of
adjustment over time and for that reason I prefer not to use them.

A.
Q. How much does it cost to build a SpecE30 race car?

A.
Depending on the original condition and cost of your donor car and your
mechanical skills, SpecE30 race cars can be built for around $10,000, depending
on how much you replace. If you go all out replacing parts you could spend over
$15000 (including extra sets of wheels etc).For a pre-built SpecE30 race car expect to pay anywhere from $7,000 to
$15,000 depending on the quality of the build and the race history of the car.

Q.
What does a season of racing cost?

A.
Race entry fees are roughly $350.
This gets you two days of racing and typically includes two practice sessions,
two qualifying sessions and two sprint races. Each sprint race is typically 30
minutes long. Add to this the cost of gas, lodging, food and other consumables
and you're looking at about $500-$1000 per race weekend. This equates to
approximately $4,000 to $8,000 per year for a full season not counting major
repairs or maintenance on your race car. To cut costs even further two racers
can share their SpecE30 and compete as a team. With NASA's racing format of two
races per weekend, one driver races on Saturday the other on Sunday.

Q. What other things do I need to race?

A.
You'll need a full compliment of personal safety gear; helmet, Nomex suit,
Nomex underwear, gloves, shoes, and a SFI 38.1 approved head & neck restraint.
Plan on spending at least $1,500 and up for your gear.You will also need a timing transponder and
all the required decals.There is a
decals faq that will tell you what you need.